


Kittymauk Meowleaf

by FeralScribe



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Catleb, Crushes, Flirty Mollymauk Tealeaf, Mollymauk gets turned into a cat, Mutual Pining, Other, POV Caleb Widogast, POV Mollymauk Tealeaf, Polymorph Spell, but Caleb is always happy to pet a cat and if that cat happens to be Molly..., double Polymorph, in the second chapter, it's an excuse to get cuddles, kitty cuddles, not shipping just cute, playing a "prank" on Caleb, they both like each other they just don't want to come out and say it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21633505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeralScribe/pseuds/FeralScribe
Summary: Molly has been trying to get Caleb to be affectionate with him for months. They're good friends and teammates, but Molly wishes they could physically interact without disrupting Caleb's personal space. After grumbling to Jester that Caleb would like him better as a cat, Jester uses Polymorph so they can test that theory...
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf & Caleb Widogast
Comments: 15
Kudos: 216





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this doodle](https://twitter.com/_milliiii/status/1200832167506534400) by Milli (eventually 90% of my work will be based on her art, it's all SO GOOD)

The strangest thing about being a cat was that it wasn’t as strange as Molly expected. He still had a tail, was still lithe and agile, and though his vision was much closer to the ground it was still sharp as he scurried down the street. The perpetual night of Rosohna didn’t hinder him in his quest. He knew the road Caleb took to and from the shop that sold the paper and ink he needed, just as he knew that Caleb would be walking home on that road right now. He only had an hour in this form, and Jester had wasted a minute or two of it squealing about how cute he was. She provided him with a mirror so he could see himself. He was sleek and had dark silvery fur with marbled swirls of black on his body and stripes down his front legs. There were blotches around his ears shaped somewhat like his horns, and his eyes were a reddish copper with black slit pupils. He _was_ rather cute, and hopefully Caleb would think so too. After all, that was the whole point of this.

The problem was that there were so many smells and sounds to distract him, and stray cats weren’t exactly common in Xhorhas. If he didn’t veer off his path to inspect a bit of trash he was often chased away from it by children whose parents quickly reined them in. Jester had warned him about how sometimes being polymorphed into an animal made you “kinda stupid.” Molly didn’t feel stupid necessarily, but it was hard to ignore his instincts.

Fortunately, the moment he caught a whiff of that familiar scent, that earthy musk mixed with the various smells of the spell components in his pockets, Molly’s instincts all locked onto one goal: get to Caleb. A purr trilled in his throat. He bounded down the street on his nimble toes. Even if Caleb didn’t stand out like a piece of gold on a muddy road, the tall gaunt firbolg at his side would have acted as a lighthouse guiding Molly straight towards the trio.

“Miiiiiiaaao!” Molly exclaimed.

Fjord recoiled. “Oh gods, no.” He put his arm up over his nose. “Can one of you do something about that?”

Caduceus crouched down and beckoned Molly to him. “Hey there, little fella,” he said with a broad smile. “Are you lost?”

“Prrrrrow!” _Caleb! I want Caleb!_ Molly darted past Caduceus to rub himself on Caleb’s boots.

“Oh, _hallo Kätzchen_ ,” Caleb said. He nudged his feet apart so Molly could wind between them without getting kicked. “You are a friendly one, aren’t you?”

“Seems to like you a whole lot, Caleb,” Caduceus said. “Probably knows how fond you are of cats. Animals can sense that sort of thing, you know.”

“Can it sense I’m allergic?” Fjord asked from fifteen feet away.

Molly ignored Fjord. Caleb hadn’t pet him yet. That was bothersome. Molly meowed demandingly. 

“I don’t think many people in Rosohna have cats,” Caleb said. “And I highly doubt this one is a stray. Is Caduceus right, _Kleine?_ Are you lost?”

Molly got up on his hind legs, forepaws kneading into Caleb’s thigh. “Yaaaaoow!” _Pick me up! Pick me up!_

Caleb stooped and gathered Molly into his arms. Molly purred happily. He nuzzled his cheek against Caleb’s chest. Caleb chuckled. “Very affectionate. I bet someone misses you a lot.”

“Rrrrrrauuu.” _Nope. I’m a lost little stray. Take me home._ “Myew?” _Please?_

Caleb tickled under Molly’s chin. Molly purred even harder so Caleb would feel it. “ _Sehr süß_ ,” he cooed.

“Whoever he belongs to probably lives around here,” Caduceus said. “They might come asking door to door if anyone has seen him. Maybe it would be best if he came with us so he doesn’t get more lost, and then we can return him right away.”

“Or we could let it find its own way home,” Fjord said, still covering his mouth and nose.

“I would know if I had seen this cat before,” Caleb said. He scratched behind Molly’s ears. Molly arched his neck to press into Caleb’s hand. “If he is new to the area, he might not know his way home yet. Caduceus is right, he should come with us, for now.”

Fjord groaned. “ _Fine_ , but let me go on ahead so I can get to my room before the whole house gets contaminated with cat hair.”

Caleb put Molly back on the ground. Molly meowed at him crossly. Caleb snapped his fingers and with a soft _psswft_ , Frumpkin appeared beside Molly. “Would you like another cat to play with?” Caleb asked.

Frumpkin blinked at Molly. _Oh. It’s you is it?_

Molly waved his tail. _Is it obvious?_

Frumpkin flicked one ear and partially narrowed his eyes. _To me, at least. What are you up to?_

Molly batted a paw at him. _Just a bit of fun. Don’t ruin this for me._

Frumpkin stretched. _I don’t care._

Molly fluffed the fur on his shoulders and tail. _Good, then act like you don’t want to play with me._

Frumpkin growled low, arching his back. _Don’t tell me what to do. You’re more fun as a tiefling anyway._

Molly swished his tail back and forth. _Fine, then we’ll play when I’m a tiefling._

Frumpkin sulked away to put Caleb between himself and Molly. _Deal. Don’t go acting too aggressive or he’ll leave you out here_.

Molly immediately relaxed. He kept his eyes on Frumpkin as though wary of him, but perked his ears in a friendly way. _Thank you._

Caduceus grunted a soft laugh. “Huh, that’s interesting.”

“What is interesting?” Caleb asked. He frowned. “Why aren’t they getting along?”

Molly stared up into Caduceus’s eyes. He knew firbolgs could communicate with animals to a certain extent, and Caduceus was possibly better at it due to his connection to the Wildmother. _Caddy, whatever you do, make sure Caleb takes me home with him. Don’t ask, but in case you hadn’t figured it out, it’s me, Molly._

Caduceus nodded. “I think this little guy could tell Frumpkin isn’t exactly your average cat and uh, they came to some sort of agreement.”

Caleb snapped his fingers again. Frumpkin vanished. “But he is alright? He is not upset? He seemed very happy before all that.”

“I think he liked the attention,” Caduceus said. “Probably more of a people cat than a cat cat. Some cats are like that, just like sometimes you’re more of a cat person than a person person.”

“I— I suppose you have a point,” Caleb said. He bent down and picked Molly back up. Molly purred loudly. “I think he must be lost. I can’t imagine he would encounter many humans around here and yet he seems to prefer my company.”

“Maybe if we use him as a scrying focus we can find out who he belongs to?” Caduceus suggested. “Either way, he could probably do with some food and water. Let’s get him back to the Xhorhaus.”

Molly enjoyed the walk home snuggled against Caleb’s chest. He purred the whole way. Caleb spoke to him in quiet Zemnian, which Molly did not understand but he liked it regardless. He heard his name mentioned along with everyone else’s, so he figured Caleb was talking about the people Molly would meet at their house. Molly didn’t care about any of the others. He had gone through all this trouble because he wanted to spend some good quality time with Caleb. After tipsily lamenting Caleb’s continued indifference to his flirting, Molly remarked to Jester that Caleb would like him if he were a cat. Jester had lit up immediately and told him she happened to have this spell prepared today if he wanted to see if his assumption was right. So far, it was.

The bells jingled as Caleb and Caduceus walked in the front door. “We’re home!” Caduceus called out. His ears swiveled. “Oh wait, if Fjord got here before us they probably already know it’s us.” He shrugged. “What do you think your new friend would like for dinner?”

“A bowl of water to start, I think,” Caleb said. He rubbed Molly’s cheek with his thumb. Molly closed his eyes and leaned into it. He playfully nipped Caleb, but Caleb merely laughed. “And maybe some jerky, before he eats my hand.”

Caleb put Molly on the floor. Molly meowed a loud protest.

“It’s alright, we’re getting you some food,” Caleb said.

Molly meowed again and attempted to climb Caleb’s coat.

Caleb gently plucked Molly off him and set him back down. “ _Patience_.”

Molly sat down with a displeased growl. He flicked his tail to show how upset he was.

Beau walked into the kitchen. “Who’s this?” she asked.

“Stray cat who found us,” Caduceus said. “Or maybe he’s not a stray, we don’t know.”

“Is that what Fjord was talking about? He just kinda came in, mumbled something about a cat, and locked himself in his room.” Beau grinned. “Jester is gonna love it, though. Let me go get her.”

Molly chirupped in agreement. _Yes! Get Jester! She can convince Caleb to cuddle me some more!_

Jester put on a good show. She ran into the kitchen where Molly was lapping water out of a shallow dish and shrieked in delight. “ _Oh my gosh he’s so cute where did you guys find him can we keep him can we name him Smudgy can he sleep in my room—_ ” She paused to take a breath. “Wait, would he eat Sprinkle?”

“Probably,” Beau said.

“Then he should stay in Caleb’s room.” Jester winked at Molly. Molly did his best to wink back. It was more of a lopsided blink, but hopefully she understood.

“I was thinking about that, actually,” Caleb said. “My room is far away from Fjord’s. It should be enough to keep his allergies from acting up until we find out who this cat belongs to. Speaking of which, Jester, do you think you could scry on his owners? Or can you not use a living creature as a focus?”

Jester shrugged her shoulders in a dramatic sigh. “Oh, I don’t know. Technically it has to be an object, I think, and cats aren’t objects. Plus I don’t have that spell prepared today.” She knelt down to pet Molly. Molly wished Caleb would pet him, but he appreciated the attention. “You should take him to your room right away,” Jester said. “You know, so he doesn’t get too much fur in here. And you should play with him. Or pet him a lot. Or let him sleep in your lap.”

Caleb also got down on the floor to pet Molly. Molly purred and coiled his tail around Caleb’s wrist. “I suppose he could keep me company while I transcribe my latest spell. So far he has been very well behaved.”

Molly mewed softly. _Yes, I am the best behaved cat there ever was. You’re so smart, Caleb._

Shortly thereafter, Caleb brought Molly and the dish of water to his room, along with some chopped jerky. Molly ate it to be polite, though he wasn’t very hungry. He also didn’t have a lot of time left in this spell. He couldn’t judge time as precisely as Caleb could, but he got the sense that in the time it took him to find Caleb, come back to the house, and get to Caleb’s room, the spell had run most of its course.

Caleb sat down at his desk. He arranged everything he would need in front of him. Molly leapt into his lap. “Oh!” Caleb exclaimed. “ _Nein, du musst auf dem Boden bleiben._ ” He tried to nudge Molly back onto the ground, but Molly flopped himself down firmly on Caleb’s legs. Caleb sighed. “ _Okay, wenn du willst…_ ” Molly could hear the amusement in his voice. He purred and stretched out his forepaws before settling with his head on Caleb’s stomach. He was going to miss having those cute little paws. He barely even had time to appreciate them.

Soon Molly felt the effects of the spell starting to wear off. For the sake of not suddenly becoming a tiefling curled on Caleb’s lap, he stood up and put his front paws on Caleb’s chest.

“ _Was gibt’s?_ ” Caleb asked. He put down his quill to rub both hands along Molly’s back. “ _Bist du okay?_ ”

The spell ended. Molly was able to arrange his legs as the change occurred so they were straddled over Caleb instead of standing on him. He moved his hands up to Caleb’s shoulders. “Surprise!” he said with a grin.

Caleb froze. His eyes grew wide. “ _Mollymauk?_ It was _you_ the whole time?”

“Sure was.” Molly flicked his tail. “Thank you for being so nice to me.”

“B-But you… I… _What?_ ”

“I got Jester to help me play a prank on you,” Molly said. “You know she loves a good prank. Caduceus isn’t as fond of them and Fjord would have sneezed himself to death, so that left you.” _And I’ve wanted to be in your arms for months now. If this is the only way it can happen, then so be it._

Caleb continued to stare. He hadn’t shoved Molly off him yet, which was good. “ _Why?_ ”

Molly shrugged. “I was bored.” _I was lonely_. “Thought it would be fun.” _Couldn’t stop thinking about you._ “Didn’t mean any harm by it.” _Please don’t be upset._ “Do you want me to leave?” _Please say no._

“Er… Um… You— You probably should.”

Molly’s heart sank. “Well, alright then.” He dismounted from Caleb’s lap. “I’ll leave you to your transcribing. See you for dinner?”

Caleb glanced at his work. Molly checked it too. He didn’t know much about arcane symbols, but it didn’t look like the surprise had caused Caleb to mess anything up. “Mollymauk…?”

“Yes, Mister Caleb?”

“I um… I was enjoying the company, actually. If… If you are _discreet_ about leaving later, you could…” Caleb cleared his throat. “I happen to have Polymorph prepared today as well.”

Molly grinned. “Need someone to keep your lap warm?”

Caleb chuckled softly. “Something like that, yes. That is, if it is alright with you.”

Molly wished he were a cat at that moment so Caleb could hear him purr. “It’s more than alright. Sometimes I worry about you locking yourself in here alone all the time. But if you prefer me as a cat, then by all means.” He held out his arms. “Go for it.”

Caleb hesitated. “I… I also like you as you are, Mister Mollymauk,” he said. He lowered his head, but not before Molly noticed how red his face was turning. “B-But for the sake of, um, continuing as we were, it would be best if you were… erm, as you were.”

“That sounds perfectly reasonable,” Molly said. “Just let me out before the hour’s up if you don’t want anyone to see _me_ walking out of your room.”

“That was my intention, yes.” Caleb pulled a cocoon from one of his coat’s pockets. “Ready when you are, Mister Mollymauk.”

Molly grinned. “I’m ready, Mister Caleb.”

Within a few seconds, Molly was back to his cat form. He leapt up into Caleb’s lap, purring as hard as he could. Caleb gently scratched behind his ears. Molly chirupped. _That’s very good, thank you._

“You’re welcome,” Caleb said. More quietly he added, “And thank you.”

Molly got up to briefly knead Caleb’s chest with his little kitty toes. _You’re welcome._

For the next fifty-five minutes, Molly lay comfortable and warm in Caleb’s lap. Caleb occasionally paused his work to dote on him, growing more and more affectionate each time. When time was up, Caleb reluctantly set Molly on the ground and went to open the door.

Before he did, he said, “This was...nice. If you would like to do this again, perhaps we could… arrange something?”

Molly perked his ears and purred. _I would like that._

Caleb smiled. “And… And perhaps we could do something similar when… when you are… erm, more yourself?”

Molly blinked his eyes slowly, tail tip twitching madly. _Oh I would_ definitely _like that._

“ _Ja gut_. Um, thank you again.” Caleb paused as though he were going to say something else. He shook his head and opened the door. “Go on, _Kätzchen_ ,” he said. “I will see you later.”

Molly took a moment to rub himself on Caleb’s ankles. _It’s a date._

Tail high and still purring hard enough to feel it throughout his entire body, Molly prowled up to his room just in time before he changed back into a tiefling. He sprawled on his bed, tingling from head to tail tip. _That went well._ He flexed his fingers, wishing he at least had the soft little bean-shaped pads on them. Being a cat certainly had its benefits. He grinned to himself. _I wonder if I can learn how to purr..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb appreciates Molly agreeing to be turned into a cat whenever he needs companionship while he works. However, on a rare day off from their heroic adventures when Caleb is especially in need of some relaxation, he makes a proposal to Molly that requires the casting of not one but _two_ Polymorph spells. Caleb isn't quite prepared for his new instincts but at the same time he isn't as uncomfortable with what they drive him to do as much as he thought he might be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Catleb chaos inspired by [this short comic](https://iva-draws.tumblr.com/post/189683941891/adventures-of-cat-leb-part-2-polymorph-is-a) by [iva-draws](https://iva-draws.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.

The strange thing about spending time with Molly as a cat was how quickly it ceased to be strange. Caleb shied away from requesting visits at first, but Molly was never anything more than accommodating. He never mentioned it around the others, or even cheekily hinted at it. The first time Caleb called him back into his room he was there in mere moments. Caleb made sure Nott and Yeza were out of their room first to prevent Nott from asking too many questions. If Nott returned before the Polymorph spell ended, Molly had no issue with jumping out the window while he had a cat’s grace and stealth.

What took the most getting used to was that inside the sweet affectionate cat who kept Caleb company while he worked was Mollymauk. Caleb saw elements of the tiefling’s personality while he was a cat; when he wasn’t in Caleb’s lap he draped himself over the nearest soft surface, he chased makeshift toys with the same manic giddiness he showed in casual battles, and every now and then he caused a little playful mischief, usually right when Caleb needed a break.

Then there was the cuddling. Caleb knew Molly was a physically expressive person, often walking with his arm around Yasha or roughhousing with Fjord or hugging Jester and Caduceus, but this was more tender, more gentle yet more determined as well. After a few times inviting Molly to his room Caleb went from letting Molly curl up at his side or in his lap while he sat in bed reading to lying down on the bed with Molly and stroking his soft fur while Molly snuggled close to his chest and purred. It was even more relaxing than cuddling with Frumpkin, though Caleb couldn’t quite figure out why. After that first time he had hinted that perhaps they could do this even when Molly wasn’t a cat, but he had never drummed up enough courage to ask for that.

Gradually, an idea lodged itself in Caleb’s mind and tickled him when he thought of Molly the cat, and sometimes when he thought of Molly the tiefling. He didn’t say anything to Molly about it for a few weeks, but then they returned from an assignment for the Bright Queen that left Caleb more stressed than usual.

“Mollymauk,” Caleb said through his Message spell, “please come to my room, I wish to speak to you about our…activities, and whether you would be willing to try something new.” He balled his fists and pressed them hard into his knees as he waited for the reply.

“Of course, Mister Caleb. You know I love trying new things. You sound concerned, though. Be there in a minute.” And there in a minute he was. He quickly and quietly shut the door behind him. His mere presence in the room was enough to loosen a muscle or two in Caleb’s shoulders. “Hello there,” he said with a friendly smile. “What’s this new thing you wanted to try?”

Caleb had had a moment to prepare himself, but it wasn’t enough. His heart was still pounding nervously and his mouth was oddly dry even though his palms were growing damper by the minute. “Erm, yes. Thank you for coming, Mollymauk. Um…” He cleared his throat to stall for time while his mind sorted through all the thoughts and words and concerns he had. “Well, you know how whenever you… whenever you come to visit me, I turn you into cat?”

It was a stupid question, but Molly merely smiled and nodded. “I had noticed that, yes,” he said with a teasing flick of his tail.

“Well I er um… I was wondering if perhaps, uh… that is, if it is agreeable to you, that I… that this time I would…” Caleb swallowed. “I would turn us…both into cats?” He had never admitted it to the others, but polymorphing himself into creatures like eagles and apes, still intelligent but without such noisy brains, was relaxing for him. It wasn’t something he did in his leisure time, since there was almost always some work to be done, but they were taking a break today and he wondered… he wanted…

Molly folded his arms and looked at Caleb for what Caleb considered to be an uncomfortably long time. His perfect sense of the passing hours told him it had only been ten seconds, but it felt like ten minutes instead. Molly shrugged. “Alright, sounds interesting. Can you concentrate on having the spell on someone else while you’re a cat?”

Caleb swallowed again. His throat was still too dry. " _Ja_ , so long as nothing breaks it.”

“Then I say we try it,” Molly said with a grin. “I’m guessing you’ll cast it on me first? Not sure you can do magic while you’re a cat.”

“I uh, I cannot, you are correct.” Caleb held up his cocoon. “Ready?”

Molly nodded. “Ready.”

The spell was practically second-nature to Caleb now. His specialty _was_ Transmutation, after all, but also he had had plenty of practice this past month. Within a matter of seconds, there was a familiar dark silver and black tabby on the floor where Mollymauk had once stood, burnished copper eyes staring up at him expectantly.

“O-Okay, my turn.” Caleb tucked the spell around Molly into the back of his head and wove the Polymorph spell a second time, aiming it at himself. When he opened his eyes he was much closer to the floor. 

Mollymauk walked over and gently headbutted Caleb in greeting. He chirruped happily. _You look good._

Caleb turned to examine himself. He had thought about what he might look like as a cat and had focused on that image while he was casting. It seemed like it had worked. His fur was long and fluffy, but not too long, and it was a solid deep ginger color. He wished he had put a mirror on the floor so he could see if his eyes were the same color of blue he had pictured. He swished his tail back and forth. Tails truly were an odd thing, like a digitless third arm but made up of far more bones to give it such flexibility. Molly’s tiefling tail had proven to be even stronger than a cat’s tail. Someday, perhaps, Caleb would turn himself into a tiefling to test the limits himself.

Molly flopped onto his side then rolled to bat his paws in the air. _Wanna play?_

The cat’s mind was far simpler than an eagle’s or ape’s. Caleb saw the invitation and didn’t even have to deliberate. He swished his tail again. _Okay._

Were it not for the cat’s mind simply not having the capacity to worry as much as Caleb’s human mind did, Caleb would have felt very silly as he pounced clumsily onto Molly and engaged him in a tussle. They swiped at each other with their paws and nipped at each other with their teeth and chased each other around the room, never truly hurting each other but certainly showing off their capability to do so if they chose. Caleb…was having fun. If he had the ability to laugh he would have, but instead he purred. He purred as he crouched, wide-eyed, waiting to launch himself at Molly again. He purred when Molly wrapped his forelegs around his neck and gently chewed his ear. He purred when he leapt over Molly as he came charging at him like a silver arrow and landed securely on all four paws, ready to retaliate.

Eventually they both tired of their game. Molly was the first to concede. He reached out one paw, toes stretched out but claws retracted, and sort of patted Caleb on the head. _That was good_.

Caleb purred. _It was._ He stepped forward to rub his head against Molly’s. _What now?_

Molly eyed the bed. The pupils of his eyes widened and thinned and widened again. _Up there._ He crouched, waggled his butt, and sprang onto the bed. The jump was a little farther than he expected, apparently, because his back legs didn’t quite make it on. He dug his claws into the blankets and hauled himself up, tail waving wildly for balance. When he was back on four paws he acted as though nothing had happened. He simply looked to Caleb and perked his ears. _Are you coming?_

Caleb took a running jump rather than starting from where he was. He put his claws out when he landed to get a grip on the soft surface, but then he padded around feeling for the softest spot. When he found it, he flicked his tail in a beckoning motion. _Here_. He kneaded the blankets, turning in a tight circle to get everything perfect. When it was to his satisfaction he lay down and stretched out on his side. Molly joined him, but he didn’t prepare his own place to lie down. He just settled in behind Caleb and rested his head on Caleb’s neck. Caleb could feel him purring as much as he could hear him, and he was purring quite loudly.

It was surprisingly comfy to lay like that. Caleb almost dozed off, except the bit of his brain that was maintaining concentration on both spells was aware that sleeping would break that concentration. He needed something to do to occupy himself. However, he was too drowsy to think of anything while still focusing on these spells. He let his instincts come up with something. His head turned with barely a thought and he swiped his raspy tongue along Molly’s ear. Molly stirred and stretched. His forepaw tucked up around Caleb’s shoulder and pulled him closer. Caleb continued to clean Molly’s ear. Molly purred in response.

After a moment or so, Molly opened his eyes blearily and started washing Caleb’s cheek. His rough tongue felt like a broad comb in Caleb’s fur. A sense of calm spread through Caleb. He rolled onto his back and also put his forepaws around Molly. They nestled in, grooming each other as though they did it every day. They groomed each other’s ears, cheeks, necks, shoulders, and Molly even licked Caleb’s forehead a few times as he switched from one ear to the other. Caleb purred throughout the experience, as did Molly. However, it was all so relaxing that Caleb didn’t realize he was falling asleep again.

All it took was one second, perhaps even a mere fraction of a second. Caleb was vaguely aware that he was drooping into the blankets, tongue still out, and his consciousness slipped into darkness for the briefest moment. He quickly snapped out of it when he felt a wet tongue on his bare skin. Jolted awake, he opened his eyes to see Mollymauk half-sprawled over his torso, forked tongue out and red eyes blinking at him in alarm.

“…Oh,” Molly said. The only movements in his body were the rise and fall of his chest and his tongue pulling back into his mouth. Caleb was likewise frozen, unsure of what to do in their current situation. The faint streak of saliva on Caleb’s neck cooled as air brushed over it, but then again anything would feel cool to his suddenly flushed skin. Molly bit his lip. “Um… Should I… Should I move?”

Caleb’s mouth was dry again, too dry to speak. There was also no air in his lungs, since he was too stunned to even breathe. His heart hammered in his chest. His eyes darted from Molly’s face to his outspread arms to the bedroom door. “Uhh,” he squeaked. With his human mind returned to him, so too were all his anxieties. He was currently pinned to the bed by his teammate, a teammate whose company he enjoyed but whose boisterous personality and occasional disrespect for personal space intimidated him. This was so much easier when Molly was a cat. Unfortunately, in order to retrieve the cocoon to cast the spell again, Caleb would need to reach into his pocket, the pocket Molly happened to be leaning on.

Molly awkwardly pushed himself away from Caleb, crawling backwards until he was sitting as far from him as possible while remaining on the bed. They were both quiet for a while. “If it’s any consolation,” Molly said with his usual disarmingly affable smile, “I was having a good time. It uh, seemed like you were too, maybe? There was a lot of purring and I think some of it was yours…?”

Through his parched throat Caleb managed a short grunt, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. His mind was racing with all the thoughts he hadn’t been thinking this whole time. He was rarely so physical with his friends, unless one of them initiated it. Sometimes when Nott showed him a new spell she learned he would scoop her up and twirl her around in celebration, or when he was tired he would lean on Fjord or Beau, and of course he had to grab hold of the nearest person when he looked through Frumpkin’s eyes so they could keep him steady. And yet he had willingly played with Molly, wrestled with him, cuddled with him. He liked Molly, yes, but not _that_ much. Right?

“Well…” Molly’s tail tapped the surface of the bed at an overly casual pace. “That didn’t feel like an hour, so I’m guessing you lost hold of the spell? Yeah, that was probably it. Um, I can tell you’re uncomfortable, so I’m gonna go.”

“Wait,” Caleb said reflexively. Wait for what? He hadn’t decided what to say, he just knew he wanted a chance to say it before time made the words fester and rot and their friendship turned sour from the unspoken response. He swallowed. “I-I-I… I am…sorry. Yes I am…uncomfortable, somewhat, buh-but only because I… I-I don’t know what to ss-say.”

Molly sat back down on the bed, still giving Caleb some distance. His ears perked within the curve of his horns. When he tilted his head slightly to one side his many chains and charms jingled quietly. Somehow it helped to dispel a bit of the tension from the air. “How about this,” he said. “I’ll ask you a question, or make a statement, and you just nod yes or no, okay?”

Caleb nodded.

Molly smiled. “Okay. Um, first question: were you enjoying yourself as a cat?”

Caleb nodded.

“Did you like play-fighting with me?”

Caleb nodded.

“It wasn’t too rough for you?”

Caleb shook his head.

“And when I, er, used you as a pillow, was that alright?”

Caleb paused, then nodded.

“Did you start licking me for a reason or did it just…feel like the right thing to do?” Molly noted the furrow in Caleb’s brow and added, “I’ve been a cat plenty of times by now and I know some of the things _I’ve_ done have just been because it was…what came naturally to me. Was that what happened with you?”

Caleb nodded.

Molly stared for a moment, the tip of his tail stirring up the sheets beneath it as it twitched. “Would you do it all again, knowing that that would happen?”

Caleb turned his head a fraction of an inch to one side, preparing to shake it. But his keen memory recalled exactly how he had felt in every moment; thrilled by their games, comforted by Molly’s closeness, blissfully relaxed by the rhythm of Molly’s tongue. He didn’t get to feel those things often. So much of his waking moments were ruled by fear, anxiety, the constant sensation of waiting for another shoe to drop and for his friends — by now he couldn’t deny that they _were_ his friends, despite how absolutely maddening they could all be — to decide he was too much of a liability to keep around and they turned him in to the Empire as a traitor for a bountiful reward. Molly, despite how little Caleb had trusted him in the beginning, didn’t seem like the type to do that. He had his personal code of morals, the only rules he seemed to follow with any regularity, and he had implied that those morals included never leaving an ally behind and never kicking a person when they were down. He was also gentle and kind when he wasn’t being intentionally irritating. He was being kind now, as he watched Caleb’s internal deliberation with nothing but mildly concerned curiosity. Caleb tried to project negative intentions onto Molly’s actions and found that they simply didn’t stick. Nothing that Molly had done while they were cats was intended to harm him in any way or manipulate him. He was simply being…Molly. And Caleb liked that. He nodded.

Molly smiled with a shallow sigh of relief. “Do you want me to leave?”

Caleb shook his head.

“Do you want to be cats again? That is, if you can cast it twice again?”

Caleb could, though he would have to expend some of his higher magical capabilities for one of the spells. He nodded.

Molly grinned. “Well then, I’m ready if you are, Mister Caleb.”

Caleb smiled weakly but genuinely back. “I am, Mister Mollymauk,” he replied quietly.

Within a minute there were two cats on the bed once again, and neither a human nor a tiefling anywhere to be seen. They curled up together in a cluster of silver and ginger, paws around each other as they nestled close in the blankets. There was no more grooming for the time being, only quiet companionship and purring. Caleb did his best to stay awake the whole time, though Molly dozed off occasionally, lightly snoring as his ears twitched in response to the sounds of his dreams. 

When there was about twenty minutes left in the spell, Caleb awoke him with a lick to the forehead. Molly chirruped softly. _Hm? What is it?_

Caleb licked him again. _Grooming?_

Molly purred and licked him back. _Sure_.

They washed each other again for a little while. Then Caleb nuzzled his cheek against Molly’s ear. _Thank you._

Molly lightly batted at Caleb’s face. _You’re welcome._

Caleb spent the rest of the spell enjoying the warmth and softness of Molly’s feline form entwined with his. Now he knew why cats like to sleep this way. It was remarkably cozy and filled him with a sense of safety and a connection to Molly. It was difficult to untangle himself as he felt the seconds of their last minute tick away. Molly made no efforts to hinder him.

When Caleb had his human voice back he said, “Thank you, Mollymauk.”

Molly propped his head up on his hand, tail curling behind him in a relaxed manner. “Thank _you_ , Caleb. That was an excellent idea. I’m glad you shared it with me.” He rolled onto his back away from Caleb and stretched. “I don’t know about you, but I could do with some food after all that rest.” He smiled to Caleb. “Care to join me?”

Caleb smiled in return. “How could I decline the invitation of a friend?”

“You couldn’t,” Molly said with a wag of his finger. “It would be terribly rude of you.” He went quiet for a moment, then leaned over and kissed Caleb on the forehead. “Speaking of which, if you ever invited me back for more of… _that_ , I wouldn’t decline either.”

“That is…good to know.” Caleb averted his eyes from Molly’s gaze to fiddle with a thread on his coat. “I will have to think about it, b-but perhaps…sometime in the near future? When we both have time again?”

Molly beamed. “I’d like that.” He leapt out of bed onto his feet and extended a hand to help Caleb up. “For now, to the kitchen?”

Caleb laughed and took Molly’s hand. “To the kitchen.”


End file.
